Toko Week 2
by Liooness
Summary: Toko Week 2, Started by WithinOurTemptation on DA. Undertstanding, Eyes, Eruption, Family, Bath, Strength,and Silence. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

AN: I know it's been forever since I posted, but life has been very busy. I am still writing, but at a snail's pace. I actually wrote most of these a long time ago, but when WithinOurTemptation posted hers again, I had to finish these and post them. Don't worry, I always finish my stories, just FoF is taking a while to get the steam going again. So, sit back, enjoy, and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.

Day 1 Understanding

No one understood her, she thought as she stalked away from the dining room. No one, not her parents, her friends or…or anyone. The thoughts rolled through her mind as she wiped at her eye, becoming even more frustrated as she wiped a small amount of liquid away. She had a right to be happy, didn't she? And her parents still went ahead and made a decision that should have been hers to make, to pawn her off like an old piece of furniture or some lumpy baggage. And to have thought that they would have learned over the past three years. Yeah, that was a laugh. Her parents still saw her as frail and weak, even though they tried to give her more freedom. Her friends had been there when the announcement was made, and though she had felt anger in Aang and Katara, they had accepted it as she made no protest. But how she wanted to protest! To shake the floor and building and whole valley in protest! She was not just some _thing_ to be bartered away.

She took a deep breath and made her way out to the gardens, kicking her disgusting shoes off to curl her toes into the cool, comforting earth. She knew her parents had a good reason for agreeing to the arranged marriage. It was for the good of their family, their honor, and their country. Also, she thought with a wry grin, no other suitor that had shown up had lasted a day, let alone an hour with her before they ran off and rescinded their proposition. Anger welled up in her again as she thought about the upcoming union. Still, they didn't have the right to choose for her. _He_ didn't have the right to force this on her. She felt him enter the gardens then and knew he had seen her and was starting to walk towards her. She lifted her chin and turned her back to him as soon as he was within a few feet of her. He should know how she felt about this. She had thought he understood her the most. She had thought she understood _him_, but apparently she was wrong.

She heard him growl under his breath as she kept her back to him. After a minute of silence and a fluctuation in temperatures at her back, he spoke.

"Look, I didn't decide for it to be this way either," he stated, and she heard his temper underlying his tone as he struggled to control himself. "They wanted a diplomatic marriage and this was seen as the best for both of us."

She knew who _they_ were; the council of elders overseeing the reconstruction of the world, and the ones who kept a watch on the Fire Nation, making sure they didn't fall back into old habits. The council was mostly made of Earth Kingdom elders, but there were a few Water Tribesmen and a handful of Fire Nation, mostly those who had helped free Ba Sing Sae during the comet, including Iroh. But though she felt for him, she kept her back to him, still angry that he had accepted this so easily, and had made her accept it without giving her a chance to have any say in it.

"I didn't want it to be like this," he said as she felt the temperature increase again, which she thought was odd. He had been calm the whole time inside, though she had felt one spike in temperature when her parents had told her the news, but then it was gone. Now, the temperature spike had returned, but stronger, but it didn't seem to be coming from anger, or at least not all of it.

"Toph, look at me!"

"You know very well I can't do that," she stated, keeping her back to him.

"Damn it, I will not keep talking to your back!" he said and surprised her by grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face him. She struggled for a bit, but it was useless without destroying the garden to get away and finally just glared in his general direction.

"Happy now?" She asked, trying to act polite, but letting her anger enter her tone as well.

"No," he said, and she thought he sounded sad. "I…they weren't supposed to tell you. I wanted to ask first."

"Ask what?" she said, letting her emotions control her tone. "To imprison me? To take away all my freedoms? To go away with you and become nothing but a figure piece that would eventually have to become a baby machine?!"

She felt tears come to her eyes again as her voice rose, but she was too stubborn and too tired to wipe them away. Strangely, he just stood there and took the abuse and then sighed.

"No," he said again, but in a softer tone. He kneeled, and grabbed her hands. She tried to pull them away, but he held on and when she gave up, he still held on, but his grip loosened. "I wanted to ask you if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife. Not because it will be best for our countries, but…"

He trailed off into silence and Toph wondered what was going through his head. He seemed hesitant, unsure and almost scared. And that was totally unlike him.

"But what?" she asked.

She felt his head come up and knew he was looking at her, and it felt like they were younger again and just having fun between training sessions as they prepared Aang to face his destiny.

"I…I've come to care for you," he said quietly. "I didn't want it to be

like this either. I feel so trapped and lonely sometimes…it's hard, trying to turn the Fire Nation around. So many people are looking at me, waiting for me to screw up. I need someone there I can trust, someone who will tell me the truth, no matter what. I need you, and…"He trailed off again and she waited, as she had always done, knowing she would feel the next move and counter it or let it wash over her as she had always done. But what he said next floored her.

"I love you, Toph."

She didn't know how she had got there, but she found herself sitting on a bench with him next to her, still holding her hand.

"Toph, you ok?" he asked, worry in his tone and she smiled slightly, almost feeling his forehead crease in worry lines.

"Will you promise to try?" she whispered.

"Try? Try what?" he asked, confused.

"Try to understand? Try to understand me, to accept me for me and not to change me or mold me into what someone says I should be?"

She turned her face to him and felt heat come from his body again, but this time, it was a comforting heat, not an angry or distracted heat. He touched her cheek and she heard a smile in his tone when he answered her.

"I thought I always understood you better than anyone, but yes, I will try. If you try something for me."

"What?" she asked.

He leaned in and she was surprised as he kissed her softly. "Try to understand me and try to care for me, even a little."

She smiled, her old smile, and it felt good. It was as if her old self was coming back from being repressed for the three years she had been with her parents. Sure, she had been able to visit her friends and spend time with them and had even visited Zuko a few times and they had grown closer over the years, but this was the first time she felt like her old self again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Yes Zuko, I'll try, though I think you'll have it tougher than me. I love you too, I always have."

She felt him smile against her mouth as he kissed her again and again. And it was that way that her parents found them and her mother had fainted at the improper way her daughter was acting with her fiancée without a chaperone.


	2. Eyes

Day 2 Eyes

It was the first thing that had drawn him to her, he thought with a wry grin. Her eyes were so eerie, so odd, yet they drew you in like a deep pool that you wanted to see the bottom of, but never could. They were also so full of emotion, which seemed so odd since they never focused, but she also kept herself guarded. It had taken him a while to learn to read those eyes, but once he knew what to look for, he could read her as well as she read him. But she had kept herself guarded the most when he asked her to marry him, and for the first time in five years, he wasn't able to read her eyes.

She had merely walked up to him with guarded eyes and an un-namable expression on her face and placed a hand on his scar. "Not yet," she had whispered and then kissed him once before leaving.

He went through several emotions after she left; rage, anger, hurt, freedom, and last of all, longing. He wondered when she would come back, if at all. If she had left because he had asked, or if she loved someone else. It was a year before he heard from her again and he was at his desk, rubbing this thumb over a piece of jade she had found for him that was the same color as those wonderful, mysterious eyes when she came into his office. His eyes found hers, and he was shocked at what he saw. Those milky green eyes he had fallen for were no longer there. Instead, they were bright as emeralds and darted everywhere, but always returned to him. She walked up to him as he sat, staring at her and reached out her hands, laying it on his scar and face as she had always done, seeing him without her eyes. But this time, it seemed as if she saw him with her eyes as well.

"What happened?" he asked as she stared into his eyes.

Toph merely smiled. "I went to the North Pole, to the oasis. I wanted to see your eyes before I accepted. Is the offer still good?"

He was stunned, but slowly a smile started to appear on his face and he set the piece of jade down and stood, cupping her face as he stared back into her eyes that he could still read so well. She was happy, and yet sad and was longing for him as he was for her.

"Yes, but you didn't have to do that. I loved you the way you were."

"And I love you the way you are," Toph said, her eyes boring into his. "I had to do this, or else I thought I would never know what it was like to look into the eyes of a man and see love staring back."

"Do you?" he asked,

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, he saw a flicker of milky green before they became bright green again. "Yes," she replied before she kissed him.


	3. Eruption

Day 3 Eruption

Zuko looked over the area with apprehension. The volcano was larger than any of them had thought and the smoke was becoming heavier and thicker. He glanced over at Aang and saw the Avatar looking pale. He knew Aang was concerned, and not just for the people living near the volcano. After all, Roku had been unable to contain the force of a volcano.

"C'mon," Toph whined, grabbing his attention, "let's get down there already! It's too quiet up here."

Zuko watched as Aang took a deep breath and suddenly looked better as the Avatar glanced back at the earthbender. Zuko looked back too and saw Toph scowling in their direction. She had grown, as they all had in the past six years, but she still preferred to be on the ground and in the middle of the action. And since this emergency had happened while everyone was visiting him, Zuko and his friends had immediately fallen into old habits and had gone to help and control the situation.

Though, he thought with a wry grin as he glanced around the nearly empty saddle, a lot had changed as well. Sokka was there with them, but Suki and Katara had remained at the palace to tend to their little ones. Katara had a set of twins and Suki had three boys. Sokka was looking pale as well as they flew towards the volcano on Appa, but was also frowning at Toph as she hugged the saddle rail.

"This is bigger than anything we've faced before," Sokka said, scowling at Toph.

"Duh," Toph drawled out. "But _I_ can't see that until we get down there. I can smell the smoke and sulfur, but I need to get down there to really see it!"

Sokka shook his head at Toph's reasoning, but Zuko understood it. She had explained her senses to him and how she viewed the world when they were younger, and had been with him as they sometimes just watched several smaller eruptions. Eruptions were just a part of living in the Fire Nation, but Toph was entranced by them. When Zuko had asked why she loved them so much, seeing them as the physical manifestation of his element, Toph said it was like watching living earth.

That had puzzled him at first, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. And since Toph did so much for him, being his personal bodyguard and best friend and secret advisor, the least he could do was let her watch the eruptions she loved. She would just sit on the ground, digging her toes and fingers into the earth and face the volcano with a look of joy on her face and Zuko never got tired of watching her as she watched the volcano. She would ooh and ah whenever a little eruption would happen and lava would bubble or fountain and she would even tell him when it was coming so he could be ready for it too. He wondered how she would take in this volcano as Appa descended to land outside of the town the volcano was threatening.

Toph jumped off immediately and Zuko watched her as she dug her toes into the earth. Her face was set in concentration for too long and he jumped off Appa and landed next to her.

"So?" he asked as Aang followed Toph's movements, closing his eyes as he dug his feet into the ground.

"This is big," she said, but then her face split into a grin. "Should be a piece of cake. Twinkles? You getting that too?"

Zuko looked at Aang and saw the Avatar frowning and then his tattoos flashed for a second, startling Zuko.

"Toph, are you sure?" Aang asked. "There's something deeper."

"Yeah, but it just needs release, on the other side. Why doesn't Appa drop us off over there," she said pointing through the mountain towards the sea, "And you cover this end by the town. I'll provide the release and then the town will be safe."

"It's the best idea I can see," Sokka stated and Aang sighed. The Avatar looked at Zuko and then back to Toph.

"As long as you keep Zuko with you," Aang said and Zuko saw Toph start to protest, but Aang beat her to it. "I know your job is to protect him, but let him be your eyes. There are still some things you can't see."

Toph gave in with a scowl, but nodded and then earthbended herself back onto Appa's saddle. "Coming, Sunshine?" she asked and Zuko nodded in Aang's direction as he climbed back onto Appa.

"You know that wasn't very nice to do," he told Toph quietly as Sokka directed Appa into the air once more and towards the spot Toph had pointed at. In response, Toph just stuck her tongue out at him and he almost couldn't resist the urge to stop that childish antic. Instead, he let a low growl out and sat back, waiting and watching the volcano. It was spewing even more smoke and was starting to grumble. He looked down every once in a while and watched the ground. The ground was hilly, more rock than land in some areas, and there were a few spots where boulders jutted up out of the earth. The area Toph had pointed towards led out into the open ocean, away from the harbor and most importantly, away from the town and surrounding farms. Appa descended and Zuko saw Sokka looking up at the volcano in worry.

"You sure you guys will be ok?" he asked them.

Toph just grinned and jumped off and Zuko shrugged. "We've always watched out for each other," he told the warrior. "Don't worry, go back to Aang and we'll do what we can."

Sokka gave him and odd look, but then nodded and Appa took off again, heading back towards the town. Zuko turned to look at Toph and already she was in an earthbending stance, feet firmly planted in the ground and was pushing in towards the volcano. He knew he had to let her do her job and he just looked around. A noise caught his attention and caused him to look up. What he saw, he didn't like. The volcano had blown an even larger cloud into the air and now lava was heading down the slope towards them.

"Toph," he said, trying to warn the earthbender, but she ignored him and it looked like she was really concentrating on something. "Toph!" he said, louder as the lava started coming faster and thicker. He heard a large growl coming from the volcano and then several whistles and glanced up and saw the volcano was starting to blow. "_Toph!_" he yelled at her, but her face just drew into further concentration. Glancing up, he saw a boulder thrown into the air by the volcano heading right for them and quickly ran at Toph, grabbing her and running from the boulder and lava. He knew they wouldn't make it and shot fire from his feet in an effort to jet them away.

It worked, but didn't take them as far as he had hoped and they crashed and rolled down the hillside as a boulder the size of Appa landed where Toph had been standing.

"What the hell…oh," Toph stated as they landed and rolled together, finally feeling the boulder that almost hit her as it continued to roll down the hill. Zuko glanced up the mountain and saw the lava coming towards them still. He spotted a group of boulders sticking up out of the ground about a hundred paces from them and hoped they would be high enough that the lava wouldn't cover them. He picked up the small earthbender and started running for them.

Toph started struggling, resisting him carrying her. "Zuko! Damn it, put me down!"

"Almost there," he gritted out and saw the lava racing down to cut them off.

"Zuko," Toph growled, "If you don't put me down, I'll…"

"Hold on," was all Zuko said as he tried to jet them up onto the rocks. Toph let out a yelp as they were suddenly airborne and Zuko put as much energy into the flames coming from his feet as he could as the lava beat them and started surrounding the rocks. Several more whistles sounded around them and several smaller boulders crashed into the lava around them, sending little sprays up into the air. A few drops of lava hit him, but the heat didn't bother him. Toph yelped again as they landed and Zuko stumbled, trying to keep from falling off the boulder and into the lava. Toph seemed to have regained her footing next to him and held onto him, grounding herself and keeping him with her on the boulder. She hissed in pain suddenly and Zuko turned and saw her kneeling and holding her hands in her lap as if in great pain. He shook loose the lava fragments still on him and started making his way to her.

"Toph, are you ok?" Zuko asked, worry for her overriding his worry for the predicament they were in. "Toph?" he asked again as he kneeled in front of her. She started shaking and rocking back and forth and he pulled her hand out and saw a small piece of glowing lava on her arm, the piece no bigger than her thumbnail. He picked it off, frowning at the heat of it and knew it must have been really painful for her as he threw it away from them and into the lava surrounding them. "Any more?" he asked gently.

She shook her head, but was staring his way in astonishment. Suddenly she was hugging him and the act almost pushed him off balance and both of them into the lava surrounding them.

"Toph?" he asked in confusion as she hung onto him and he could swear he almost heard her crying. But that was unlike Toph, as well as her hugging him. "Um…are you ok?"

"Forgot about you being immune to that kind of stuff," she said as she drew back from him. "Thanks for the save," she whispered and Zuko saw her trying to shield her face from him as she wiped at her eyes. "Now," she said, grinning up at him, "let's finish the job. I'll try and listen better."

All Zuko could do was laugh at her. She was being odd, worse than she usually was, showing some emotions he rarely saw in her and then she was all business again. She raised one eyebrow at him before shrugging and sinking into a horse stance again.

"You better work fast," Zuko stated as he saw more lava spilling out onto the hillside.

"I am," Toph said, her voice straining in concentration. "I almost had it when you grabbed me. That was very improper, just to let you know."

"You weren't listening and you would have been squished," he stated as he watched her. She merely nodded in response, her concentration on her task.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone else as he watched her move, slowly and gracefully, but he loved to watch her work. She was never stiff and formal like the other earthbenders he had known, but fluid and graceful, almost like a firebender. Looking at the lava moving around them, he knew suddenly why she liked to watch volcanoes so much. And why he did as well. She was like the lava, beautiful and deadly at the same time; living earth as she had put it. But it brought new life and land to the Fire Nation…and to him. Toph was beautiful, and though he had known that for a long time as he had seen he grow up, it was a startling revelation right then. Seeing her bathed in the glow coming from the lava surrounding them, her forehead sweating as she moved from form to form, he knew no one could compare to her. Her black hair had come undone while had been carrying her and now was draped along her back like a cloak. He felt the urge to just take her in his arms and kiss her, as he had felt the urge growing more and more frequently over the past year, and almost did it, except the ground rumbled and moved beneath him in a small earthquake.

She grinned and stood up straight, wiping the sweat from her forehead and Zuko suddenly noticed the heat had increased around them. He smiled at her and started drawing the heat around them into himself and then dissipating it out into the air, away from Toph. He glanced around as he did the form and saw a new hole about fifty meters below them on the slope gushing lava away from them and towards the ocean.

"Thanks Sunshine," she said as he felt the temperature start dropping around them and looked back to see Toph sitting on the boulder, her face turned up towards him with her eyes closed, just reveling in the returning coolness. Once the temperature was acceptable again, although Zuko knew the warmth didn't bother him, he released the heat and went to sit next to Toph, just watching the lava as it poured out from below them. Toph leaned against him and sighed a tired sigh.

"Think Snoozles will be here soon?" she asked.

"Who knows?" Zuko replied, shrugging lightly. He wrapped an arm around her as she rubbed her head against his shoulder in tired comfort. "But won't Aang feel what you've done?"

"He's busy directing some of the stray lava away from the town. Not too much, but your little save method stopped me from stopping it."

"I told you I wasn't going to let you get squished," he replied, starting to frown at her. Why did she always jump into things head on without concern for herself? She always worried about others and then herself last, laughing it off if it was too dangerous or too close and he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her if he knew he could do something about it.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he was too tired to resist now. He had been worried sick over her and now that they were safe for the moment, he gave in. He kissed her, capturing her mouth with his and he knew she was surprised. But he just held on as she struggled slightly and drew her closer to him and after a few seconds, she gave in and started kissing him back. After who knew how long of them being locked together, he drew back and saw her catch her breath. He smiled as he saw thoughts flickering through her misty eyes and started to lean in again for another kiss, but she put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Are you sure…?" she said.

"About this? Yes."

"Maybe…it's the fumes affecting your brain," she said, shaking her head as if to clear it.

Zuko smiled at her again. He lifted her chin with a touch. "Toph, you've known how I've felt about you for a long time. I'm surprised you didn't feel this coming."

She stopped looking confused and started grinning, her usual, mischievous grin. "I did, but with everything else going on, I wasn't sure this could even happen. Will we be ok?"

"We'll take it one step at a time," he reassured her, knowing she was thinking about the conflicts that still occurred between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. His people wanted him to marry, to have an heir, but it would be hard for them to accept an earthbender as their Fire Lady. It had been hard for them to accept Toph as his bodyguard. He smiled again, they would just have to get used to it. "I suggest we start with this step," he said as he leaned forward to kiss her again.

Aang was surprised as the volcano rumbled again as he and Sokka helped the townspeople get to safety. He had felt Toph's work and knew she had let the pressure out on the other side, and though some lava flowed down the mountain towards the town, it would be safely redirected. But it was still for the best that the people got to higher ground away from the volcano until it stopped rumbling. But the volcano continued to rumble and as he peered into the smoke at the top of the volcano, he saw a fountain of lava spewing up and into the air before it settled again. He wondered what had caused it. The pressure had been let out, and the volcano should be settling. He let himself enter the Avatar state and expanded his senses towards the other side of the volcano and was shocked at what he found. Two people were sitting very close together on a boulder, surrounded by lava, and they were becoming very intimate with each other. Aang opened his eyes and let the Avatar state fade as he turned to see Sokka studying him with an odd expression on his face.

"You ok?" the warrior asked. "Your face is red."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Aang replied with an easy smile. "Let's get these people to safely and then I'll go get Toph and Zuko."

"Are they ok?" Sokka asked, worry starting to show on his face.

"They're fine," Aang replied and glanced back at the volcano as another fountain showed at the top. "More than fine," he said to himself as a huge grin took over his features.


	4. Family

Day 4 Family

Family had never meant much to her until she turned twelve. Until she was twelve, it meant two overbearing, overprotective parents who never let her be herself. Then she ran away and it became a ragtag group of kids who only had each other to depend on as they fought against impossible odds and had lost and won great battles, only bringing them closer to each other. Sure, there had been fights and harsh words, but Katara said that was what happened in a family. Her parents would always be her parents, but they weren't her real family. And her family grew throughout that great and terrible year. It came to encompass the whole fleet of the Southern Water Tribe as well as some earthbenders she had once fought against and a couple of people who the other members of her family had known that she grew to like. But it really wasn't until _he_ joined them that she knew what it was really like to want a family.

The rest didn't trust him, or like him, and he had even hurt her, but he was just so alone, aloof, that she was drawn to him. He was so like her in so many ways, but he didn't see it for a while. And she thought she was blind. But then he did start seeing her and their similarities and they grew to care for each other, just being there to talk things over and figure things out or even just spend the day in silence, but never uncomfortably. When everyone started splitting up after the war ended, he asked her to stay with him. When she asked why, he said he needed family close, and she knew he didn't mean the family he was born to. They had been through trials together; visiting her parents and all the suitors who asked for her hand, several assassination attempts on both of them, Mai leaving him because he worked too much, but there had been good times too. And this was one of those, she thought as she pushed, straining all her muscles with him holding her hand.

"It's a boy!" Katara cried happily. "He's gorgeous Toph. Gold eyes, black hair and pale skin. What will his name be?"

"Iroh," Zuko whispered as Toph breathed deeply from the exertion. She heard Katara bring the baby, _her_ baby, to her and held out her arm, waiting for her son, though she never let go of her husband either. The waterbender laid the little bundle in Toph's arm and the blind earthbender smiled as she took her hand away from her husband to run her fingers over her son's face. His was just like her beloved husband's and she felt Zuko's calloused hand brush hers as he also traced his son's face.

"He's beautiful," Toph said with a tired smile.

"He is, but not as much as you," Zuko replied before kissing her cheek. "Welcome to the family, Iroh. It's big, with lots of people, and we argue sometimes, but we're still a family."

"And no matter what," Toph told her son as he cuddled against her breast. "We'll be here for you, through thick and thin. Because that's what family does."

Katara came in much later and took little Iroh away so she could rest, but Toph was still joyful. She had made her own family, she and Zuko, and they would be a good family for their son. They had come from such twisted families, but she knew that with the family they had made as children, their own children would know the true meaning of family as they grew up.


	5. Bath

Day 5 Bath

"No, I won't go in! You can't make me!"

"Toph," Katara growled. "This is a very important thing! You have to be clean. That means no dirt and its…everywhere!" Katara finally ceased her pushing since Toph wasn't moving an inch and stepped back to assess the situation. Toph stood in the doorway, all four limbs anchored into the stone wall and refusing to budge into the bathroom. Unfortunately, Katara had not drawn the water yet, so she could not bathe Toph where the earthbender was rooted. And the maids had expressed extreme displeasure the last time she had gotten the floors soaked. The waterbender almost found it amusing that she was trying to push an almost fully grown woman into the baths like a child, but then again, this was Toph she was dealing with.

"You know," Katara said slyly, "I could just ask Aang and Sokka to come in and they can get you in there."

"Hah!" Toph laughed. "I'm not modest and they're the ones who will get pounded and then bathed. Not. Me."

The blind earthbender turned to smirk at Katara over her shoulder and Katara sighed again, frowning. Why did Toph have to be right? She had managed to convince Toph to get most of her clothes off before the word bath had come up, and that had been a slip of the tongue. But since Toph had heard the dreaded word, she had been harder to move than a boulder. No, Katara thought with a scowl. Boulders were movable and like feathers to the small earthbender before her. Now, pulling Sokka away from meat, that was harder than moving a boulder. The waterbender eyed her friend as she tried to think up ways to get Toph into the bath. The little tomboy had grown into a sixteen year old young woman, curves and all, but she still acted like the same old Toph. Always fighting, bending and getting filthy. Especially when she was supposed to be clean and acting like the lady Katara knew was buried deep inside.

King Bumi was throwing a banquet for his one hundred twentieth birth-day and everyone was there. Bumi was an almost even match for Toph in earthbending, but the old king took longer to get his robes together than it took to get Toph into a bath. Aang would be eager to help, as would Sokka, but they just couldn't do anything against Toph when the earthbender became stubborn. And Toph was right; she would pound them into the dirt for even thinking about it. When Katara had brought up that she was going to make sure Toph was clean for the banquet and ball to her brother and boyfriend, Sokka had merely laughed and Aang had looked apologetic and then both had disappeared. Katara growled again in frustration at not being able to find a way to get Toph clean and heard the earthbender snicker. That only caused her to growl more, but a passing voice in the hallway gave her an idea.

"Face it, Sugarqueen," Toph stated as Katara listened more to the voice, hoping it was the person she was thinking about. "You'll never win."

"We'll see about that!" Katara stated as she hurried to the door and listened more closely. She heard the voice more clearly and it was exactly who she thought it was. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Toph scowling at her, but also that the earthbender's face had gone slightly pale.

"No, Katara. Don't…" Toph started, but the waterbender merely opened the door and smiled at the two men walking by.

"Sorry General Iroh," she said as she grabbed Zuko's arm. "I need to borrow your nephew."

"Please," Iroh said with a grin. "He needs to lighten up a little."

Katara nodded her thanks to the retired general as Zuko scowled at his uncle and then her, trying to pull his arm free, but Katara was too quick and pulled the young Fire Lord inside. She pushed him towards Toph and then hurried back to the door.

"What…?" Zuko started, scowling at her as she pushed him, but then he caught sight of Toph and he stopped mid sentence and stared at the small earthbender still in the doorframe. Katara noticed Toph blushing slightly and turning away from Zuko and that even the Fire Lord had a slight blush on his cheeks. Katara grinned.

"Toph refuses a bath, but Bumi insisted everyone be clean for his banquet. Since you two have always gotten along so well," Katara said with a sweet smile as Zuko started frowning at her again. "And it's reported you've been able to convince her to bathe before, I leave the job to you now. Have fun and I'll check up on her later." With that, Katara grabbed the door handle and left, shutting it quickly. She pressed her ear to the door, expecting shouting from Toph, or at least talking, but it was quiet. She almost wished she could feel through earthbending like Toph and Aang could, but decided against it. Waterbending was too much a part of her. Congratulating herself on a job well done, Katara walked to the end of the hall to wait for either Zuko to storm out, the young Fire Lord to be thrown out, or a wet firebender to come out. Whatever happened, Toph would get clean and Zuko would lighten up.

The minutes ticked by, and nothing happened. Servants passed her and several started reminding her that the time of the banquet was approaching and that she needed to get ready, but still nothing happened. Knowing she was running out of time, and wondering if the pair had snuck out, Katara hurried to the room and opened the door. The room was empty, but she heard voices from behind the closed bathroom door. All the dents Toph had made were repaired as if they had never been and a new addition lay on the ground next to Toph's normal clothes. Katara wondered what it was and picked up the red fabric to find that it was Zuko's robe. She hastily dropped it and snuck as quietly as she could to the bathroom door. There, she heard muffled voices, both Toph's and Zuko's as well as some splashing. And then a huge splash and both of them laughed. Still wondering what was going on, Katara pressed herself closer, trying to hear what was being said. Suddenly it went quiet and Katara felt herself falling as the door suddenly opened. She fell onto the cool, dry floor of the bathroom only to sit up and stare at a most unexpected sight.

The large marble bathtub was filled with water and bubbles, and Toph was inside it with a hand on the rim, looking clean and wet as she had just finished washing her hair. But what surprised Katara the most was that Zuko was also in the tub with Toph, his hands frozen on Toph's shoulders as he lathered her back. He was completely bare as far as Katara could see, even the scar on his chest showing from where Azula's lighting had hit him during the Agni Kai of the comet. Zuko's golden eyes were huge at being caught, but Toph's green eyes just sparkled mischievously as she started laughing. As Zuko started blushing slightly, Katara just continued to stare.

"We're almost done, Katara," Toph said as her laugh died down. "Give us a minute and then I'll get ready."

"O…Ok," Katara managed before getting up slowly and stepping out of the room. She managed a quick look back and saw Toph whispering something into Zuko's ear and the firebender smiling as he relaxed before the door shut into Katara's face. She didn't know what was happening and figured it had to do with Toph. But she was determined to get answers and started pacing as she waited on the blind earthbender.

"Just a minute," Toph called back over her shoulder as she walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around herself. Katara turned and started fuming at the earthbender, but Toph ignored her and went to Zuko's robe, picking it up gently and carrying it to the bathroom. She disappeared inside and Katara heard more laughing before Toph came out and closed the door again, facing Katara with her impish little smile.

"What was that?" Katara asked, trying to restrain herself. "How could you let Zuko see you like that? And him?! Why did he act that way and why was he in the tub with you! I expected…"

"You expected him to fail," Toph said with a smirk. "Maybe get me in, but that I'd get him soaked. Well, we started talking," Toph said and lowered her head, but Katara could still see a faint blush through Toph's bangs as her anger evaporated. "And it worked out that he needed to get clean as well."

"Besides," Zuko stated with a slight smirk as he came out of the bathroom and joined Toph, "firebenders are known for getting things to dry quickly." He leaned down to place a quick kiss on Toph's cheek, but the earthbender turned and kissed the firebender full on the lips as Katara watched, speechless. Zuko just smiled at Toph before smirking at Katara and then left the room, looking exactly as he had when Katara had pulled him in, though she did have to admit he looked cleaner and more refreshed. Zuko stopped before closing the door and smiled at Katara. "You need to get ready yourself, because I'm not helping you get a bath."

He closed the door as Katara's jaw dropped and Toph started laughing and rolling on the floor as Katara tried to figure out exactly what had just happened and how she had ended up the one who was dirty and in need of a bath.


	6. Strength

Day 6 Strength

"I thought I was strong. I lived through so much in such a short time. My mother disappeared the same day my grandfather died and my father and sister turned on me. I was scarred for speaking and then banished, roaming the world by sea to find the world's last hope. I grew in strength, both physical and in firebending every day of my banishment. I had to. It was either get strong or die. The sea is a hard place to live and I lived there for three years before I was forced to cut my hair and become a refugee. Then things became harder. There was confusion within me, but I knew I was strong. I could survive and persevere. I laugh now as I think about how silly I was, trying to find a way to restore my honor back then. As if capturing a child and handing over the world's only hope would do anything important. As if it could prove how strong I really was to my father.

"I came to a realization later that year, just before the eclipse and became even stronger for it. I knew what I had to do, and did it. I joined the Avatar. It was the scariest thing I had ever done. Stand before a group of children and teens that I had chased around the world and say I was there to help. They hated me, all but you. You were different. You couldn't see, and yet saw me for who and what I really was. I was so ashamed that I had hurt you. But you forgave me almost instantly, and sought me out when I needed someone to listen.

"I thought I was strong until I saw you earthbend against Aang. Then I knew why a puny little girl of twelve could withstand so much. Later when we went to town and a few people talked rudely of you and your dirt and blind eyes, you brushed them off as if it was nothing, and I could see the core of steel within you. No matter what happened, you were as strong and stable as your element. The years passed and no matter what happened, you were the core of the group and held everyone together. Especially me. I needed you, your strength, and you never let me down. Through thick and thin, you were there. But now…now I'm not sure how to be strong. To think that a little thing like a cold could come to you and make such a mountain of strength fall is unexplainable. But you were so strong through it, I don't know how you did it. I miss you, and need you here. How can I be strong without you?"

He stood before the gravestone on the hill, white hair unbound and clinging to his soaked robe as he looked on the simple characters of the stone. Tears rolled down his face, mixing with the rain that poured on him and the stone. Behind it was a statue created by a young earthbender showing a woman holding a rock as if it didn't weigh a thing, and he just smiled through his tears at that. The daughter followed the mother, but now all had left him alone with her. Their friends, children and even grandchildren had already said goodbye, but he couldn't leave.

"I thought I was strong, but I wasn't," he said to the stone. "You were my strength, and I'm not sure how to go on now that you're gone."

The wind picked up and blew into his face, the warmth of coming spring and it lingered as if caressing him and he knew that she was talking to him, encouraging him. The words she had told him long ago came back to him and he told them to her.

"You're not strong because of muscles or power, but because you have to be. Inner strength comes from the heart and you said that I was always stronger than you. I miss you Toph, and I know that soon I will be by your side again."

With that he turned and started walking down the hill to his family and friends, knowing that she would be strong in waiting for him as he would be strong in waiting to get to her.


	7. Silence

Day 7 Silence

It was said there was an unnatural quiet before battle that was eerie. The quiet before the storm. But as she lay there on her sleeping roll, she knew no silence, nor had she ever known complete silence. Her ears picked up every movement of the men around her, every rustle of the leaves, the wind playing with the trees and grass and even some of the birds and insects around them. Yes, it was more quiet than usual, but not silence. She heard and felt at the same time her companion get up and creep away from his men and guards and she got up and followed him even more quietly. Still, she heard every step he took, every rustle of leaves as they walked away from the camp. She stayed behind him and was sure he turned back a few times to make sure he wasn't followed and may have even spotted her once, but he should have known better than to know he couldn't sneak away from her. She felt him stop on a ridge and heard him settle down.

"I know you're there," he whispered and she just smiled softly and joined him, staring out into nothing, but knew he was looking at the enemy camp on the ridge across the valley. The fires that she felt there and the men just as anxious for the coming day as the men she had at her back. The renegades had massed and they had ridden out to meet them. A young lord of just twenty-one trying to stop a civil war with his men and closest friend and guardian against the men that had ruled the nation with fear and military strength under his father's reign. There had been skirmishes in the past, and it had all led to this one moment, but the firebenders would wait for dawn, when all were at full strength. She would have liked to go that night, but he refused, saying he needed her at his side, no matter what and she had stayed, but protested often.

"I don't like this," she muttered not for the first time and he nodded silently, knowing she could feel the vibrations of his movements. She was anxious to fight, as the men were, but not in the same way. She loved battle and pushing herself. The men, both behind her and before her were afraid of what would come. Brother would be fighting brother, father fighting son, and none were looking forward to it. The only steady heartbeat she could feel in the entire region was the man sitting beside her and that was one of the things she admired about him.

"It's quiet," he said, but she shook her head and felt him turn to her, hearing his hair and clothing move, probably questioning her. She smiled her wry smile at him, knowing that she could read him without reading his expression.

"No, you just don't hear well," she replied. "The day birds still nestle into their nests, warming their young. The cat-owl looks for food and has spotted some mice, plucking them before they know what's after them and taking them to their young. Some wolf badgers are stalking a deer-mule to the north, and should feast well tonight. The wind blows from the other side of the ridge, rustling the fallen leaves ever so slightly and taking a few more from the trees. And the men snore, from both our camp and theirs."

He chuckled lightly at that and then, unexpectantly, his arm was around her shoulder, drawing her in for a hug. She leaned into him, surprised, but enjoying it. Few were the times he showed affection, and even rarer now because of all the men he was leading. Only Aang knew that they were together, and the Avatar had promised to keep his mouth shut, mostly due to threats by both of them. And, though he had offered, Aang was staying out of this conflict. Zuko wanted to deal with his own people without the Avatar's help. Having Toph as his personal guard had been enough of a blow to his people's honor. Having the Avatar settle an uprising would have cost Zuko all credibility. Toph knew he could do it, though, and without bloodshed.

"You're having trouble sleeping," he said and Toph just sighed.

"All the noise," she replied, waving her hand to gesture behind them.

"It was the silence for me," he replied seriously.

Toph just smiled and then he was lying down, looking out towards the valley and pulled her with him so that he had an arm around her and her head was on his chest. She could hear his heart beat and his breathing and everything else started fading out. The birds and insects, the anxious movements of frightened men and snores of fitful sleep. Then the wind started fading out too as his breathing evened out, but his heartbeat remained as steady as ever. She sighed a content sigh and snuggled further into the warmth he gave off as she started drifting off.

"Thank you," he whispered sleepily. "You make the silence bearable."

"And you make it silent," she replied after a yawn as even his heartbeat faded as sleep took over.


End file.
